Video Game Addiction

[spliggle]

Hi all!

I'm currently writing up a report on video game addiction and how it's become a legitimate, serious problem for some.

I was just wondering if you or anyone you know has had any experiences with it, specifically on WoW?

Not the 'I played GTA 4 for 5 hours straight' addiction that many of us suffer from, but proper hardcore addiction to the point where you'd cancel social commitments, not see family etc to carry on playing.

Any help would be great!

Thanks!

[tigermeat]

This guy I knew had bad WoWism for a while. He developed some kind of back trouble from it because he would sit for hours at a time and not get any excercise. He eventually quit his job and went on workers compensation for awhile due to his "injury". Apparently after that he became somewhat of a shut-in, grew an honest to god affro and just played WoW. However, I saw him this morning downtown, he started a new job, got a decent haircut and is looking alot better.

For me, I havent been to the bar in almost 6 months. When my friends call me up on the weekend and Im playin WoW I just tell them I need to be up early or something. I dont really think its WoW though, I just outgrew the bar and getting wasted. If my friends wanted to go see a cool movie or something I would likely go, so I dont think I am addicted. I just like playin once in a while as I find its more engaging than watching TV. More like a hobby I would say, not an addiction

[Dakiter]

You are gonna see a bunch of these but there is a Survey & Research Thread on this forum that this should really be posted in.

[pergolesi]

The problem is people who think they have to leave the game to experience so-called "real life." A bad habit. There must be some kind of therapy for them.

[Ritsuko]

Like any game people get addicted to WoW. But if you have a addictive personality it doesn't matter if it's wow, cod, gta, ff, anything. WoW is considered "more addicting" because of the amount of people who play it, and because it's online.

You don't see the number of people who waste their days away on console games as much since its not a huge online community. I would assume the people addicted to games they play alone far outnumber the addicts in wow since not everyone wants to pay 15$ a month for a game.

[zuraja]

My brother has WoWism really bad. Its all he ever does. He is on the pc for the whole time he is awake and never plays anything else. The only people he really talks to are the people in his guild and never goes out with rl friends. He quit uni because it was taking up too much WoW time and doesnt even get benefits as he would have to leave the pc to sign on. My mum has given up on him as its a waste of time trying to talk him out of playing for a while.
I created a char on his server and actually managed a conversation with him, even though it was in /w.

[Wintrow]

The problem with getting too engrossed in it is that you end up not being able to talk about anything else. As soon as the topic moves to politics, movies or god forbid... even the weather you're either not interested or just plain can't participate due to having no clue about it.

Until recently I was heading down that road. I was coming in late at work, like... 1h45m late because I secretly played wow before I left home. I'd then work late to compensate. Then my wife would be angry because she'd think I was doing overtime for no clear reason.

Whenever we were talking I would always be "meh" until I thought of something that happened ingame. Then I'd be really excited and she would be "why are you starting about that again". And I wouldn't get it.

Even without her knowing about my mornings she caught on I was taking wow too far. To prove to her that I was not playing when I should be doing chores around the house we agreed on a parental control scheme. That worked.

I mean, I'm a programmer. Finding out where she kept the password was nothing. And at first I'd simply unlock the scheme, play and relock it. I'd come to work at a client, they'd assign me a conference room where I knew I was gonna be alone all day, booted up and played anyway. Off course, work suffered, but the fact that I work VERY fast and good under pressure didn't help. I'd budget something for 2 days, play 1,5 days and make it in 0,5 and nobody saw any difference. I am even commended for being a "valuable collegue".

But somehow... it didn't sit right with me. My wife noticed little improvement even though she "knew" I was barely playing. General domestic unhappiness ensued and, while before she'd be interested in the game (she has her own account w a L62 Hunter), she was objecting anything wow-related. She'd still play a bit but never when I was around.

I decided then I had to shape up. Now I don't believe in cold-turkey solutions. The "right way" should be that I CAN take things in moderation. My wife wouldn't want me to quit either (I even suggested it several times and she said "no, you like it so much, you shouldn't quit it". She even sent me to the WII 2008!). So I've been gradually coming back from it.

Today. I still have trouble coming in on time. But instead of 1h45m late I'm now 15 to 30 min late. Which is more in my "normal lateness"-pattern. I mean, I've never been known for my punctuality, so I shouldn't try to be perfect right? I play at work only around lunchtime. The parental control scheme gives me 12h00 to 13h00 to play but I usually have time for lunch around 12h45, so I still turn off the scheme, play and turn it back on. But now I only play for 0,5h. You could say that's still not good enough, but I sorely hate missing the 12h30 point because I was helping a customer, putting something Live or something else that is simply doing my job the way I should and then getting punished for. I tried explaining it to my wife but she doesn't agree. Then again, she works at a factory and she never understands my flexible work hours. So I just keep it to that. You can't win 'em all.

Then there's friday night. The scheme gives me one whole night a week to indulge the utter geekyness and go on raids or other dungeon runs. Get it out of my system so to speak. And it works. And every now and then I say, "this friday I'm not playing. Let's watch a movie." and even though she doesn't say it out loud I believe those are the things that'll keep it going.

Moderation with a spark of consideration from both sides.

There, a sliver of my love/hate relationship with what I consider the best game made so far.

[tigermeat]

Wintrow, very nice post.

I noticed I am slowly declining in my playtime. Not because I am losing interest because I still love the game, I just dont seem to have much time anymore. Work 9-5, eat supper, spend some time with my girlfriend, and then its bedtime. If the gf is working, I will play an hour or two before she gets home. I still do all the household work like dishes and laundry. When the gf works on a weekend, I usually go hardcore on WoW for 3-4 hours, take a break and go to the gym, then come back and grind a bit more.

I dont hold it against anyone who gets really into the game, I was a total addict when I first installed the game and made my first noob. I once stayed up for 24 hours because it was so much fun. Now I am just a little more "responsible". I have alot more going on in day to day stuff so i cant let myself get zombified while playing games. But when the opportunity presents itself I will jump in for a while and hack and slash my way to glory.

I think WoW has a bad rep, I have heard the extreme stories about people neglecting their children, skipping school, ect. It is a bit more time consuming than the average game, but its really up to the person to make up their mind. At least its way cheaper than being a full blown alcoholic, and you will live longer too.

[tagkc]

Check out a Yahoo group WoW widows. You'll get a lot of first hand stories.